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Thursday, August 6, 2015

Curve Ball by Sloan Johnson Blog Tour

Jason Klein’s living with the fallout from a decision he knew was the right one at the time. He never told anyone about the love of his life, which left him to mourn alone when he found out the man he gave his heart to had been killed in combat. Now, his heart has had time to heal, but he’s not sure he’s ready to let himself move on. Until he meets Cam Morgan…

Without a job lined up following graduation, Cam Morgan took his best friend up on his offer to move to Milwaukee and stay with him until he could get on his feet. The last thing he wanted to do the day after getting to town was go to a party filled with a bunch of jocks. Sure, they were “professional athletes” but Cam was convinced that bigger bank accounts didn’t make them any more accepting of people like him. He certainly didn’t expect to meet Jason, the Mavericks’ catcher who broke every stereotype he’d had.

What started out as one hot, sweaty night together quickly grows into something deeper. Jason welcomes Cam into his home and his life, but now he has to teach the younger man that it’s not a sign of weakness to let people help you.

“If you have something to say to me, just say it.” I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel to keep from shaking Drew. He was one of the youngest guys on the team, and right now, his immaturity showed through brightly. It was about time someone knocked some sense into him, before he wound up earning a bad reputation, both on the field and off. “I won’t apologize, because I haven’t done a damn thing to offend you.”

“Really? I shouldn’t be pissed off that I had no clue you were gay?” Drew seethed, his brown eyes narrow slits as he glared at me. “And I should be totally cool with you loading up my friend in the middle of the night to take him back to your place, right?”

“Yeah, actually you should,” I quipped, twisting the wheel tighter. “Cam is a grown man, and if you truly care about him, you should be fucking ecstatic that he’s getting out there to meet people.”

Drew muttered something to himself as he went back to staring out the window. His shoulders slumped forward and he seemed to shrink in his seat. I knew that look. It wasn’t one worn by a concerned or pissed off friend, it was the look of a man who felt the love of his life slipping away from him.

“How long have you felt this way about him?” I asked. My chest tightened, knowing that I wouldn’t stand between them. Drew and I might not be close, but I liked to think of him as a friend, a brother on the team.

“Doesn’t matter.” The response was so quiet I could barely hear the words. As I pulled up to the stoplight, I placed my hand on Drew’s shoulder, unsurprised when he jerked away.

“It does,” I assured him. “And you have to know I wouldn’t have done anything with him if I’d known.”

“Don’t say that. I’ve known for a long time that he’d never feel for me what I do for him.” I suddenly missed the anger Drew showed earlier. “If the way he looked this morning is any indication, you’re exactly what he needs in his life. And if I put my own feelings aside, you’re more than that. You’re what he’s always wanted.”

That was not how I expected this conversation to go. It started exactly as I’d seen it in my mind, but I hadn’t expected Drew to step aside. Maybe I was wrong in thinking that he was immature and selfish.

“Drew, if you say the word, I’ll back off. I’m not willing to destroy two friendships just for a few nights of fun.”

“The only way I’d ask you to do that is if that’s all this is for you.” I pulled up in front of the grocery store, but neither of us moved to open our doors. “Cam is one of the best guys I know. He’s got a big heart, but sometimes, he’s a little too open with it. If you’re only in this for a couple of hot nights, then yeah you should walk away from him.”

I felt backed into a corner. Sure, I’d thought about what it’d be like to explore something more with Cam, but I wasn’t in a place to do that. It had nothing to do with being on the road most of the year and everything to do with my own inability to be open with those around me. I’d grown accustomed to never letting anyone get too close, and Cam had already seen more than people I’d known for years. There was no way I’d be able to hold back if last night and tonight turned into something more.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” It was the most I could promise him.

Reviews by the
Wicked Reads Review Team

Veronica – ☆☆☆☆
Cam is out and proud and has taken care of himself for so long he struggles to let anyone close. Jason in the closet and tired of it. Neither of them want anything serious. We know what is going to happen when characters say that.

While Jason's first romance tells a tragic tale and Cam clearly had a difficult upbringing, Curve Ball is ultimately a good fluffy m/m romance. I enjoyed the relationship Cam developed with the WAGs and the constant talk of Cam's cooking and food had me wanting to eat. The steamy scenes are well done and the sneak peek the author provided of Triple Play, the next book in the series, left me wanting more.

Shannan – ☆☆☆☆☆
I couldn’t wait for Jason's story. I can say I was not disappointed. Curve Ball was everything I thought it would be and more.

BT Urruela on the cover is truly the perfect Jason.

Cam has just finished culinary school and has the opportunity to move to Milwaukee to stay with Drew. A pitcher for the Mavericks. Drew and Cam have been friends for years and with Cam between jobs, it's the perfect time to spend some time together.

Jason is a loner. He has a past, no one on the Mavericks know about. A past that still haunts him. When he sees Cam at a picnic full of guys from the team, his only thought is to talk to him not caring who sees him. The not caring who sees him with a man is a first for him. Can Cam be the one to break down all the walls that Jason has up? Can Cam keep from running when things get to be too much?

I really enjoyed this one. I love Jason's backstory, but I wish there was more about his relationship with Adam and what happened. It was sort of glazed over.

Curve Ball is tender and sweet, the chemistry is high, the emotions are raw and put it together with a side of baseball and it makes for a great read.

Highly recommended sports romance!

I usually NEVER read a preview at the end of a book. I hate only getting a chapter then having to wait...BUT I could not resist with this one. Yes I am torturing myself but I couldn't help myself, I love Drew. This just proved what I already knew, I can't wait for Triple Play!

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
This series is getting better and better – and the preview of book 3 suggests that the trend is going to continue!

This is a romantic rather than angsty read, for which I am grateful – although I did shed a few tears in a couple of places. The baseball team that we first met when Mason and Sean started their relationship is not as closed off as it was, but the revelations that there are definitely more players who are considering revealing their preferences is dealt with carefully. I liked that the focus had shifted, and that Cam and Jason get their story told, rather than the team's. I liked the cooking elements, and how it fitted within their relationship. The story is told from both POVs, and at times I did have trouble remembering which was speaking at that time, which was confusing. I did like the dual perspective.

If you like hot MM sports romances, then this series is definitely one that should be on your reading list.

Sloan Johnson is a big city girl trapped in a country girl’s life. While she
longs for the hustle and bustle of New York City or Las Vegas, she hasn’t yet
figured out how to sit on the deck with her morning coffee, watching the deer
and wild turkeys in the fields while surrounded by concrete and glass.

When she was three, her parents received their first call from the principal
asking them to pick her up from school. Apparently, if you aren’t enrolled, you
can’t attend classes, even in Kindergarten. The next week, she was in preschool
and started plotting her first story soon after.

Later in life, her parents needed to do something to help their socially
awkward, uncoordinated child come out of her shell and figured there was no
better place than a bar on Wednesday nights. It’s a good thing they did because
this is where she found her love of reading and writing. Who needs
socialization when you can sit alone in your bedroom with a good book?

Now, Sloan is a tattooed mom with a mohawk and two kids. She’s been kicked out
of the PTA in two school districts and is no longer asked to help with
fundraisers because she’s been known to lose herself with a good book and
forget she has somewhere to be.

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